Strangers: Collector of Stories
by Kyra Sikoni
Summary: Kenshin has pretty much obliterated his past history after over a decade of wandering. And after a decade of following, a stranger from his past has come to confront him, though unintentionally, with stories that could shatter the thin line between his pa
1. Default Chapter

Author's Notes: It'd be best if you read my notes, indeed, it would.  
  
-A few things, disclaimer.yes, disclaimer, all the characters, but one so far, don't belong to me, all right? Duh, that's why it's called "Fan" fiction.  
  
-And, hmm, I guess I better set the time line for you. It's not totally different. (1.) In fact, the reason why I haven't mentioned much of Kenshin's past is because I don't know much about it. Sure, I know the basics, about Tomoe (but not how she died or was lost), about the black envelopes (but none of the specific targets). (2.) It's at the point where Megumi has barely been introduced, and when I say barely, I mean barely. (3.) Hmm, I don't even know how they met her, all right? Which just goes to show you how totally clueless I am about the series.  
  
-The story was started as a hobby about a week ago and I apologize for any...points in the story that aren't accurate. (1.) However, most of these points are tweaked on purpose (tweaked means changed). (2.) I've added Himura Saoshin (is it just me or does Saoshin sound Chinese? lol I can sort of distinguish the difference between Japanese, Korean and Chinese languages, because my mom's Korean and she says that Korean and Japanese are more alike than either are with Chinese) into his past timeline, I've added, trying my best possible not take away from it.  
  
-Also, the story jumps (flashbacks, thoughts between characters.etc.) sometimes and it can be very unclear for you. (1.) If I get enough complaints, I'll certainly make it so you can tell when there are flashbacks and when different characters are telling the story. I just think it looks better without frickin' bold letters in the middle of the story, broadcasting a flashback to you. {sigh} I know, I know, it's easier to read when you have that broadcast. I want you to understand the story. I just want you to understand, all right?  
  
-Lots of POV's but not too confusing, it all comes through in the end. (1.) It's an ongoing project thus far and I'm still working out the kinks. Little things, like forgetting to change certain "uncle Kenshin" to "brother Kenshin", things like that.  
  
-Also, the whole thing is in complete English format, well, as close as I can get it to "Completely English" anyway, except for little things or little words, like surnames (last names) coming before first names and maybe at times when I can find no other alternate, like "katana" or some of the styles mentioned in the first six episodes or so in the series, or maybe a little "hai," which sounds better than the simple "yes" or an occasional "oro," which doesn't have a substitute anyway, but {shrug}. I use "Rurouni" on an almost regular basis when Saoshin comes in. Those Japanese sure have some nifty terms; I'll give them that. ^.^ Speaking of English and speech, I tried to mimic Kenshin's speech as well as I could.  
  
-Blah, blah, blah, blah.  
  
- But I feel uncomfortable with using Japanese words with English, it's like mixing any other two languages, it doesn't feel right to me, makes me think I'm breaking some unwritten code for it. I've taken Spanish and Italian classes, which just gives me an even greater respect for the separating of languages.  
  
-Hmm, I also came up with my own little approach about Kenshin's little sixth sense and what it must be like from his POV, I associate it with the wind because, well, wind is everywhere and it never dies.  
  
-And different little things that other people in my story have claimed he's done, like Saoshin's little accusation about a certain technique that made her "cosmically dizzy" aren't actual events or things he's done.at least to my knowledge they haven't. They fit with the Goddamn story, go with the flow, people.  
  
-O, and about swearing, I tried to keep it to a minimal.thingy, but there's still a trickle of profanity in it, just a trickle.Trust me, I wouldn't joke about the cussing or sexual content, because I have no clue how old kids are when reading this stuff and if you must know I'm sixteen. Odd, huh?  
  
-Sexual content in this story, you're safe from it, I'm a little uneasy about even hinting toward sex, but I just might in the later chapters or in the last one. No worries about it at all, yes indeed.  
  
-Don't worry your precious little heads about the romance between Kenshin and Kaoru, because there is romance between them, just poor, confused, split Kenshin takes a little longer to realize (as usual) about his feelings for her, mainly because of Battousai's leech-attachment to Tomoe. Righty, got it, then? (1.) Kaoru's sickness is more symbolic than anything. I didn't just all of a sudden make her sick after Kenshin left for nothin', folks. (2.) Let me just say that I had to think about putting the romance between them before I actually decided that I was going to make this a Kaoru/Kenshin thingy.  
  
-{sigh} I hope I make you cry and make you blush, make you laugh, and make your heart burst with love or hate or suspicion of the characters and what I tried to bring out in them. Writing relieves a lot of stress. {nod} (1.) I noticed that I tend to use actions more than words to express what the characters are feeling. Just keep that in mind.  
  
-Uh, a couple more things, I guess I should say that I will intervene once in a while with little notes between little brackets that look like these: { } or . When it's something important or something that you need to remember for future reference or something that you probably wouldn't have caught if I {clears throat} hadn't told you about it.  
  
-I'd like to call that little poem at the beginning of this story mine, but I have a slight feeling that it's from somewhere else and that somebody's already claimed it. {shrug} Hmph, well, enjoy. Boy, I hope I didn't make the introduction more entertaining than the actual story...  
  
  
  
StrangerS : Collector of Stories  
  
  
  
Chapter 1  
  
  
  
  
  
Stranger in the Day  
  
Stranger of the Night,  
  
Take my pain away  
  
Shed a little light.  
  
Strangers. He ran into strangers all the time. But this one was the strangest meeting with an unfamiliar person he had ever had, because this person knew everything about him. It was weird seeing her as well; a call of recognition plagued him when he had first encountered her.  
  
Lately, on an almost regular basis, he had run into more strangers than usual. It seemed the dojo was always in some sort of trouble, or the people within it, living here in this place. Trouble. He almost welcomed it.  
  
Trouble was the only antidote to himself. Being without trouble meant being without fighting. Without this natural association with his other self, he felt that he would dissatisfy Battousai and go on a killing spree. So, in this, trouble was not a cure; it only relieved him of it temporarily, never completely smiting it.  
  
He couldn't decide on what to do. He had warned the assistant master of the dojo that he might leave at any moment and he was sure that she kept this in her mind at all times. He wondered if she watched him now as he sat here on the deck in the back. She did that often and, much to her unbeknownst self, he knew it too. He had the slight impression that her crush of him had grown since the first time they had met. In fact, there was no doubt of it now.  
  
He sat with his hands tucked into his robe above his shredded, cloth belt to keep him warm in the chill. It was a weird chill, in the middle of summer. Perhaps something was wrong.  
  
A very beautiful day it was. He didn't understand why things went so wrong on such a beautiful day. Things had gone wrong on many beautiful days. He understood that things didn't go dark on only gloomy days, much to most people's imaginations and, ultimately, sorrow. He frowned slightly at this.  
  
A wind blew in to caress his hair, but he felt something blow in with it, a strong presence, but not dominating. A sense of mystery surrounded this presence and he was surprised that he couldn't pick up any other vibe. He sat there, concentrating, staring ahead in a void of emotion that he couldn't quite sort out. This wasn't like a regular being. Then, he realized what was wrong with it or, more accurately, what was interesting about it.  
  
"What is this?" he said, his eyes narrowing.  
  
The force was hiding itself, receding into itself, as if not wanting to be known. He did not know of anyone who could accomplish this.  
  
Suddenly, a great scream rocked the dojo and he got up and turned to the door, tipping his head to one side curiously.  
  
"You little jerk!"  
  
At first, he thought she was talking to him; she had used the word a lot when he had stayed the first few days. But since Yahiko had joined her classes, he had heard a lot less of the word 'jerk' aimed toward him for a while, although she still became very loud with him at seemingly inappropriate times.  
  
"Miss Kaoru?" he called and advanced on the slide-away door.  
  
"Miss Kaoru, do we have company?"  
  
There was another person it could have been, who was Sano. He grinned at the new friend he had acquired here. This place was blossoming with new love and happiness. He stuck a hand out his sleeve and leaned it against the frame of the door after he slid it open. Yes, this was a happy place. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt safe. Safe enough to let his guard down even for a second. Safe enough to sleep at night, though still bloodied with the usual nightmares.  
  
"Sano! I hate you both!" he heard her squawk even louder than before.  
  
He slid his right hand out of his shirt and into his sleeve, placing his left hand on the hilt of his sword; he walked in and to the kitchen, quietly, but urgently.  
  
"I'm never letting you wash dishes again!"  
  
"Yeah!" Yahiko yelled happily.  
  
"You'll just do yard work from now on," she said in her smug voice.  
  
Yahiko started back with his usual comments, "What, you ugly girl! And what yard?"  
  
He poked his head into the kitchen, instantly gaining their attention with his attendance. He noticed a pool of water and soap on the floor. Thank goodness it was an outdoor sink or she would be chasing Yahiko around the house right about now.  
  
"Hey, guys," he greeted with a smile as he took a step forward.  
  
"And what are you doing here?" Kaoru demanded with hands on hip.  
  
He raised an eyebrow innocently and replied congenially with, "I was only wondering if Miss Kaoru needed anything from the market so I may go and pick it up. A quick walk for me, too, perhaps."  
  
"Uh." she trailed off. He grinned; he knew she had been about to yell at him for having a lame excuse. He had saved this one for emergencies.  
  
"Yes, in fact, we do need some tofu," she replied.  
  
"Is that all, then?"  
  
She shot him a suspicious glare.  
  
His grin broadened at her suspicion. She had a strong intuition, she did. He closed his eyes and nodded, bringing part of his upper body down in a small bow and turned to leave.  
  
Heading across the bridge and setting foot in town made the presence stronger. He knew that it hadn't been very far away. That was good, because he didn't want to be late with the tofu. As he walked deeper into the center of town where the market was held, he stiffened as he realized that he couldn't get an exact pinpoint on the whereabouts of the mystery being.  
  
"Where are you?" he questioned urgently.  
  
Suddenly, power flailed out and made him stop in his tracks. He knew where the person was now; it was like they had laid out a perfectly aligned tunnel to lead him there, reaching out to him. It wasn't weird to him. Whenever someone needed help it appeared to him in this form. Somehow it felt different this time, as if this.person was reluctant to reveal himself.  
  
He started walking again and was led to an alley. It was a shallow, open-roofed alley and there wasn't a shadow in it, but there were people. A single woman within a circle of men. Perhaps one of them was whom he was searching for.  
  
"Excuse me, sirs."  
  
The men turned to face him with confused faces.  
  
The woman looked at him, from under a straw umbrella hat, which was tied with a sash that ended in a knot under her chin. He had seen many field workers wear them in past hot summer days when he had once been on the road. She held a sun umbrella in her hand; she dug the tip of it into the ground, holding it like a cane, resting her wrist lazily on the top of the wooden handle, her arm outstretched, setting the sun umbrella at an angle. The wood was polished and so were her clothes. In fact, everything about her seemed clean and polished. Her eyes were dark and sullen beneath the shade of her hat.  
  
Her kimono was much like Kaoru's on days when they went out to eat or out into public, but longer and flowing out from under her and around her and dark in color.  
  
"Are you all right?"  
  
She nodded. "Do continue with what you were going to say."  
  
He raised an eyebrow. He had had the impression that she was in trouble, yet she didn't seem to either acknowledge it or wasn't really in trouble. The way she stood and spoke really didn't suggest any problem. He tried to decide which one as he talked to the men.  
  
"I was looking for somebody. And I thought they-I had.seen them come this way," he said and cleared his throat. He was feeling like a real idiot right then. "I was wondering maybe it was one of you men."  
  
The woman tipped her head up, so her umbrella hat was no longer shading her eyes. He saw a brief liquid glint of red in both her eyes, but wasn't sure if he had seen what he thought he had seen though.  
  
"It was not one of these men," she said to him, conversing over their heads to speak to him. "I am who you came to find. I was hoping that you wouldn't notice me."  
  
The men were looking at each other, scratching their heads and whispering questionably to each other about the two.  
  
He stepped forward, but one of the men gritted his teeth and growled through them as he lunged forward, trying to slash a cut in his arm.  
  
The woman stood there as the red-haired man on the other end backed away quickly.  
  
"Are you in danger, miss?" he called out to her.  
  
She twirled her parasol and stabbed the tip into the ground gently with finality.  
  
"If you're lending me your help, I don't need it," she said firmly and with a small frown creasing her lips. "Tell me if you remember me, Minder another word for protector/guardian {English} Battousai."  
  
The whisper of the name spread rapidly throughout the alley amongst the men who had been about to attack the woman. He was sure of it now, that she had been confronted that is.  
  
His eyes widened. He had to admit that she did have a certain sense surrounding her that was familiar to him. Then his face tightened into a glower at the mention of the name. Another enemy come to get him?  
  
"I don't know who you are," he said, bitterly, his eyes narrowing. "But it looks as if you can take care of yourself."  
  
She worked the handle of her parasol with trepidation. She looked down, bowing her umbrella hat over her face.  
  
"I see," she murmured. "Don't think I'm being hostile with you, Minder Battousai. I'm being the exact opposite."  
  
"I know this. I've never heard any, but a few, use such a respectable title for that name," he stated sternly with a frown of his own fluttering across his lips. "But, you must understand, I've been running into many dark figures lately. Most of which were strangers to me."  
  
"Were?" she asked as she looked up with widened eyes and a trembling hand upon the tip of her parasol.  
  
"Yes," he sighed and turned his body away from her, but kept his eyes on hers gravely. "I've turned them over to the proper authorities."  
  
She straightened with the announcement and smoothed down the front of her kimono.  
  
"Yes, I was certainly hoping you would not catch wind of me," she replied robustly, her head held high with confidence.  
  
With that said, he wanted to hear no more and took to the street. He looked both directions and huffed a sigh as he turned to his right to go to the market.  
  
He had not forgotten Miss Kaoru's tofu nor could he be allowed to forget it. It would seem even more suspicious if he forgot to bring it home. Forgetting tofu wasn't something he ever did nor would it seem logical to forget it if he were on a simple stroll to town.  
  
He heard light stepping behind him and turned to see, hairs rising on the back of his neck.  
  
The woman he had met in the alleyway lightly stepped out onto the street herself and picked up her kimono as she sailed in the other direction. Other women and men looked in her direction as she continued on her way.  
  
Something prompted him to run back to the alley and so he did and as he rounded the corner, he saw that all of the men were either stunned or knocked out cold. His lips parted as he thought about her liquid red eyes glinting majestically in the brief flash of sunlight, like glasses of red wine...or fresh blood.  
  
What made him even more aware of her was that she had somehow taken them out without any of them escaping or making a sound. He blinked in astonishment as people started to crowd around him and point and whisper at the sight.  
  
After walking further into town and picking up a bit of tofu for the dojo, he walked back steadily and cautiously with the slabs jiggling in the water pan in his palms. And as he walked, all he could think about was that stranger. He still felt her presence, it was weaker now, but growing stronger, on the wind. He wondered if he were coming upon her campsite.  
  
For all her extravagance and cleanliness, she could not hide the fact that she was a traveler, a lone wanderer.  
  
His features tightened as he remembered his obtuseness with her. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt so threatened by anything in the past five years. He didn't mean to be rude, but it came out that way anyway. It was like he had had no choice in the manner, but to speak in such a way. It made him feel guilty. He hadn't meant to be so rude. He sighed and looked up at the late morning sky.  
  
He turned into the gates of the Kamiya dojo, with the bowl balanced on his palms perfectly, and looked around. It was quiet. He guessed that Yahiko was practicing solo, Sano was gone again and Miss Kaoru was.was.what did she do in her spare time? Did she ever have spare time?  
  
He bowed his head curiously as he walked hurriedly forward and called out her name, but received no response.  
  
"Odd," he said.  
  
Where were the kids? And the grandfather doctor?  
  
He went around to the back and saw them all gathered there, except for Sanosuke, who must have left earlier before this gathering.  
  
"O, Brother Ken! Look, a friend has come! Bet you weren't excepting this!" Suzume shouted with delight and ran to him, with her little sister following.  
  
"Well, I certainly wasn't expecting anyone," he said, smiling brightly and sincerely. "No, I-"  
  
He froze in mid step as he looked up to find the woman, her sunhat was off and lying on the deck and she was smiling gorgeously.  
  
"What are you doing here?" he demanded as calmly as he could, but not politely.  
  
Her smile fell away and Suzume jumped up at him, tugging at his sleeve.  
  
"Don't make her sad, Brother Ken!" Suzume scolded.  
  
"Yeah! Don't make her sad," her little sister mimicked, in the same tone of voice.  
  
He looked down at both of them and then looked back at her. What was she doing here? He thought he had established the fact that he didn't want to see her again.  
  
"Then, I will try my best to contain myself for you," he said, beaming down at the two cheerfully, "Indeed, I will."  
  
"You'll act good?" the older sister questioned.  
  
He nodded matter-of-factly.  
  
"Now, come, we must put this inside to be prepared," he said and walked toward the door with two little girls trooping in after him.  
  
He could feel Kaoru's eyes on him as he disappeared inside. She had so many questions. He was barely able to evade her anymore, because she knew that if she turned her back or closed her eyes for one minute, he would be disappear. She was very good about centering all her attention on him so he was around longer than usual when she was scolding him about keeping secrets from her or being selfish or just being a jerk in some way or when he slacked off in cleaning or something else that she probably made up to talk to him about just for the sake of speaking with him.  
  
He smiled at this. He was glad that she cared about him and that she tried her best to be mature about it. Sometimes he wondered what ran through her mind exactly, because she had some very interesting ideas sometimes, things that made him believe that she really did make up stuff just to get a word in with him for one second.  
  
Then, his thoughts drifted back to the puzzling woman and his features hardened. Why did she seem to be such a thorn in his side? He didn't even know her. But she certainly knew him, knew him as Battousai. He must have known her a long time ago.  
  
But he had never seen her before in his life.  
  
"'.Minder Battousai.'"  
  
He looked around because the kids were unusually quiet and found them standing behind him solemnly.  
  
"Yes, Suzume? Little Ayame?" he inquired.  
  
"Did you used to have students, like Kaoru does?" Suzume asked, rocking back and forth on her heels.  
  
He shook his head with a grand smile and said, "No. And I don't want any either. Why?"  
  
"Because the lady said that she was a student of yours," Suzume said, unsurely. She looked away from Kenshin and he looked at her with perplexed eyes. "That's what she said."  
  
"I see," he said and let his shoulders fall relaxed as he scooped the two up in his arms and hugged them simultaneously. "But I've never had students before, little Suzume. I'm barely old enough to be an agreeable teacher, I think."  
  
She tapped the tips of her little fingers together while frowning, contemplatively.  
  
"Can we make rice-balls, Brother Ken?" she asked. He nodded affirmatively.  
  
"Rice-balls it is!"  
  
"Rice-balls!" Ayame cried and wrapped her small arms around as much of him as she could hold. 


	2. Strangers : Chapter 2

Chapter 2  
  
They felt so fragile in his arms. So light in his arms were they, he was afraid he'd forget they were there and drop them. Only their tender nuzzles and compassionate whines now and again reminded him to be gentle, but it was enough. He could feel himself hold them tighter, protectively. As they made themselves comfortable in his arms, he walked out of the backdoor, where everyone sat, still listening to the woman.  
  
Her voice was light, almost shallow of emotion. But whatever emotion she spoke with was singular and not clashing with any other feelings and had a certain appeal to it that did, perhaps, seem shallow and hindered, but also open and genuine.  
  
He felt a ping of guilt for having been rude to her, but said nothing as he let Ayame and Suzume down and scurry for plates and ingredients for rice-balls, which really wasn't very much to retrieve, so he usually let them get the things.  
  
"Kenshin, are you all right?" Kaoru said, watching him as usual. He responded with a smile and a quick nod.  
  
"Yes, Miss Kaoru. I got you some tofu, like I said I would," he told her.  
  
"Thank you," she responded politely.  
  
A brief period of silence was clashed with Kaoru's intervention.  
  
"Meet Imura Saoshin," Kaoru introduced and bowed slightly as she gestured toward her with gracious hands. {Pay attention to the spelling of Saoshin's surname here. It's kind of important.}  
  
He raised an eyebrow. Her name sounded similar to his name. But, he contained his questions and doubts and finally introduced himself, pleasantly for once.  
  
"I am Himura Kenshin," he replied, solemnly.  
  
Kaoru clapped her hands together and smiled cheerily. "You may stay for dinner, the only payment I can give you for your stories, Miss Imura."  
  
The stranger nodded gratefully and accepted her offer.  
  
"Miss Kaoru, the food isn't ready yet," Kenshin told her, politely enough.  
  
She gave Kenshin a dull look and said, "I know, Kenshin. I'm the one that's cooking it."  
  
"Aw man, Kenshin, why did you let her cook?" Yahiko interrupted.  
  
"She needs to practice and I will try to teach her, okay?"  
  
Yahiko laughed teasingly. "You couldn't get her to cook decently even if her life depended on it!"  
  
"Yahiko!" she roared.  
  
The two little girls came back with supplies in their arms, marching like a little platoon as Yahiko and Kaoru ran off with Kaoru trailing close behind with a prepared fist.  
  
Kenshin smiled as he padded down the stairs and met up with them. The woman was watching him, carefully. His smile slipped away and fell into a straight line across his face.  
  
"Ready, Brother Ken?" Suzume asked, grinning proudly because she and her sister had brought everything.  
  
"Yes, let's go, shall we?"  
  
He bent down to take the things out of their arms, but showed him he was proud of them in the process so as not to make them tart about him carrying the things.  
  
After this, they walked back to the porch and Kenshin let the stuff spill out of his arms haphazardly. He immediately started to sort through them as did Suzume and Ayame.  
  
"Minder Battousai?"  
  
He turned slightly toward the small voice behind him. He heard a slight rustling of her clothes as she scooted closer, dragging her kimono across the rough outdoor wood.  
  
"Yes, Miss Imura?"  
  
"I want to say that I'm sorry."  
  
"Sorry for what?" he asked and turned to the pile of rice material ready to be kneaded. He took some up and watched as Suzume and the little Ayame took some into their hands and tried with great effort to please him with a perfect rice-ball.  
  
"I am sorry for intruding on your quaint.home, shall I say?"  
  
He froze at the word, having not once thought of this place as his home.  
  
"Are you planning to stay long?"  
  
He continued kneading the bit of white stickiness in his palms while he ignored her for another moment. He sighed and turned around to her, grasping the little white ball in a hand gently.  
  
"Why? Why is that so important?"  
  
She sighed and smoothed down her sleeves one by one. Then, looked at him in the noonday sun with liquid red eyes. His eyes narrowed on their eerie hue.  
  
"I have a story for everyone, Minder Battousai. I am a collector of stories. But I've been missing one incredible story from my collection."  
  
"And it's mine?"  
  
She nodded frankly and smiled cheerily at him. "Yes."  
  
"I'm not in any mood to tell you my stories, wanderer," he replied gruffly. He blinked with amazement at himself as he turned away. He had done it again. He had been rude to her for no apparent reason.  
  
"And your story starts with me," she said.  
  
"I can't see how or why," he countered, setting down a perfectly round white rice-ball.  
  
"Brother Ken, how's this?" Ayame asked and held it up right in front of his nose, his eyes narrowed surprisingly at it.  
  
"It's good, Ayame," he said and smiled. "Here, let's set it down gently on the tray."  
  
"Gently," she reiterated sternly with a determined nod.  
  
He took her hands gently in his and guided her hands to the tray, then slid her hands out slowly from underneath the rice-ball with one crumbled corner.  
  
"Kenshin! It's beautiful," she cried and leapt into his lap.  
  
"Must be one of your best yet, that it is."  
  
"Rurouni Kenshin?"  
  
He stopped when he heard Saoshin address him in such a way. He turned, with Ayame hanging around his neck.  
  
"Tell me then, how our fates are tied together?"  
  
"Picture a sunny day, Rurouni Kenshin, because that's the kind of day on which I came to you. A day when you had found out you had lost your love," she said, speaking in a sorrowful tone, it washed over him like a devastating sea.  
  
He clenched his teeth and looked to Suzume and Ayame before his features contorted any more.  
  
"Suzume, Ayame, I think it may delight Kaoru if you went to help her in some way, being wonderful little helpers that you are."  
  
Suzume had another contemplative look upon her face and got up.  
  
"Let's go, Ayame!"  
  
Ayame bounded out of Kenshin's lap and took off after her sister to find their Kaoru.  
  
Saoshin slid away and hung her legs over the rim of the little porch, with parasol in hand, twirling it into the dirt at the base of the porch as she gazed out into the yard, the sky, at everything but him.  
  
"That was not a beautiful day!" he protested finally. "It wasn't!"  
  
"O, it had been. But I don't think you were aware of it. The only thing that I could remember of you was your coldness. You were cold, Rurouni Kenshin," she stated vaguely.  
  
"What the hell is your problem? First, somebody or other tries to bring me harm physically, for the most stupidest reasons of all and now, YOU, this!" he hissed. His right hand was trembling and he finally clenched it tightly, trying to hold back the reflex of drawing his blade. "I haven't spoken a nasty word to anyone since it all ended, Miss Imura! Not until you. After everything, something of my past still manages to find me, to bring me harm, to bring those around me harm. . ."  
  
He calmed then, he was standing, towering above her, but she didn't seem to be listening. She didn't seem to hear, until he was finished that is.  
  
"My timing has always been terrible," her eyes were downcast, full of past follies.  
  
His guilt started to work back to the surface, his frown deepened at his behavior.  
  
"It seems as though trouble follows me wherever I roam to," he said distractedly, and softly.  
  
"Are you sure you don't go looking for trouble, Rurouni Kenshin?"  
  
He looked down at her, her eyes were still lowered and she didn't even attempt to glance at him nor did she blush or go further until he spoke.  
  
"No, I've worked toward a peaceful life, a peaceful era, I deserve this much.don't I?"  
  
Even as he spoke these words, he knew they were not honestly spoken, though with a lot of heart they were.  
  
"You do deserve so much, Kenshin," she agreed quietly and lifted her eyes to the yard beyond. "I cannot tell you much, but that I was sent by a person from the past to watch over you when time permitted me to. And I've had a lot of time. And I can see that you do not wish to leave this place."  
  
"I hope not to," he said, soberly.  
  
"But you're afraid. You're afraid that you won't be able to protect them," she said, hesitantly.  
  
He stayed silent.  
  
"I am part of your past. I cannot change that, though I wish I could. And I wish I could change our first meeting. I had been trying to confront you head-on, though she had warned me not to. I wasn't afraid of you; she knew I was one of the few people who admired you, Rurouni Kenshin. We ended up battling each other and near the end of it, I had injured myself, clumsy as I was with a sword back then, you see."  
  
She stifled a chuckle as she went on.  
  
"I still have a limp from the wound I inflicted on myself when I had first met you. I'm not quite sure what I had done, but I knew that it had been partly your fault too. I knew that you had somehow turned my perception upside down in such a way that made me feel. . .cosmically dizzy in a manner of speaking. Suddenly, I saw only bits and pieces of the world around me, felt only you everywhere. And I had brought my own blade down on myself from your technique, whatever it had been."  
  
She looked up at him and he stared down at her with wide eyes.  
  
"How are you still alive? I should have killed you when I had the chance."  
  
She winced at his words, but knew that he meant that she should have been dead now, because of the way he had been.back then.  
  
"You couldn't take my life, Rurouni Kenshin," she said simply. "Even then, you had some humane bit inside yourself that stayed your hand when I had struck myself down because of your baffling technique."  
  
She lifted the point of her parasol off the dirt and tapped it on clean ground to make another hole from her ever-twirling fingers.  
  
"Besides," she added, "you didn't even know me then, just as you don't know me now."  
  
"But you-I don't remember that! I'd remember something like that."  
  
"Kenshin, is everything all right?" Kaoru said, stepping onto the deck with a tight little frown on her young, concerned face. "Kenshin?"  
  
Kenshin kept Saoshin's eyes locked with his own.  
  
"I'd remember failing," he said quietly. But it was more than just quietly. There was something else about him.his stature, his. . .his eyes!  
  
Suddenly in the blink of Kaoru's eyes, Saoshin gasped as she rapidly wielded her parasol in front of her face. There was a great ringing and before the ringing could end the reverse blade sword was crashing into the middle of the poor sun umbrella with Saoshin underneath, barely keeping her own against his tremendous power. She did this with great effort and tried her hardest to lock her arms. The umbrella had practically exploded on contact, the find wood design was ruined but at little cost; she was still alive under the heavy weight being born by him.  
  
He growled hideously at her display of resistance, which caught her attention. She looked away from the blade and up at him, suddenly her stomach clenched, she felt fear as she had all those years ago. His voice was drained of all emotion, like running water gone abruptly dry. And the eyes, no longer of a violet, but a thirsty gold that was ready to obliterate her at the first sign of weakness. She, the one kill he had failed to go through. Her eyes widened for she knew that if he had attacked her when she stood, she wouldn't have been able to hold his heavy pressure, because of the weakness in her right leg from the one other battle she had had with him.  
  
She noticed that he was staring intently at her parasol. She cried out when she saw a glint in the sunlight within the mess of splintered wood. She had forgotten about her hidden blade.  
  
"Rurouni Kenshin," she pleaded through gritted teeth.  
  
"Kenshin! Kenshin, stop!" Kaoru yelled at him. She looked on helplessly, her eyes wide with terror.  
  
"Whoa, Kenshin! What are you doing?" Yahiko exclaimed as he came around the bend of the dojo to investigate the noise.  
  
All he could think about was the woman before him, who was all he could see or feel.  
  
"Why must you bother me? Why can't you just leave me alone? Leave us alone!"  
  
"You can't kill me, with that, sword, Kenshin!" Saoshin pointed out desperately, heaving these words between breaths.  
  
His eyes glazed over heatedly at the obvious statement.  
  
"No, you're right in that. But I can still hurt you rather badly with it," he proclaimed in a threateningly tranquil tone. His shoulders hunched through his robe as he bore down still more on her.  
  
Still, his strength had not diminished, if anything it was becoming more, becoming unrelenting. She was about to give; she couldn't hold it any longer.  
  
"Kenshin, what are you doing?" Kaoru whispered.  
  
"I didn't come to hurt you! If I had, it would've already been done!"  
  
"It's dishonorable to have a hidden weapon! Tell me, then, what you were doing? With this weapon, hidden right under our noses?" he yelled back, furious with her somehow.  
  
He could not hide his anger and he didn't know why. He couldn't compose himself in her presence. Why? If what she said was true, why threaten her with his reverse blade? Why threaten her at all? But for the growing warning in his heart, he felt completely in favor of backing down.  
  
To his bewilderment, she collapsed, sweat glistening in the sunlight and flashing as his sword flung forward at the pressure he had sustained throughout. He abruptly stood straight, drawing the blade back some, but still it caught her cheek, moving across it as she turned her head away. He knew why she turned her head with the blade, to minimize the wound and now, instead of a gash, which should have lain across her cheek and nose, she had one about the size of his horizontal scar across her pale left cheek. Blood spilled and seeped from the corners of the fresh cut.  
  
She started shouting at him; he blinked as he gazed at the tip of his blade. He heard her, but barely through his own calling, his own scolding.  
  
"It isn't dishonorable any longer! An age where swords are forbidden, an age where honor is something else, something more than how good you are with a sword, with any sort of weapon. . .your kind is going extinct! Swordsmanship is nothing more than an art, at best defense, only defense, Kenshin," she trailed off here. Her own face gone sour. Her voice was full of emotion, mixed emotions, whirling in her eyes, clouding them, blinding them, threatening to spill over.  
  
He looked down at Saoshin and saw she was on the verge of tears. She sniffled and held a delicate finger to her shut, left eye.  
  
"Why can't you remember, Minder Battousai?"  
  
"Kenshin," he gently corrected.  
  
He knelt in front of her, hilt still in hand, gazing at the tip of the blade. There was a tiny sliver of ugly, dark, powdery red on the end, Saoshin's dried blood. He sheathed his weapon, shaking his head while doing so, trying to collect himself.  
  
"My past is better left buried," he told her, them. He knew, realized, now that Miss Kaoru and Yahiko had witnessed the whole thing. "I'm certain that what I had done to my memory was not an accident. So, you want to know about my past.I cannot give it to you, I'm afraid."  
  
He gathered himself off the tips of his toes and looked to Kaoru.  
  
"I am sorry again," he announced, looking straight into her eyes peacefully, sincerely.  
  
Kaoru's eyebrows crashed down in the next moment.  
  
"You jerk! Why did you have to scare me like that? Scaring Yahiko too, you jerk! You jerk! You broke her umbrella, Kenshin! Look at that! You better pay for that!"  
  
"Oro?" he whimpered in a confused voice while she continued to yell and scold at him. Yahiko butted into the argument too when she had said that he was scared on his behalf as he claimed that he hadn't been.  
  
Even Kenshin wasn't immune to Kaoru's lecturing and he smiled inwardly at this normal episode. . .normal. 


End file.
